CHAPTER ONE
My eyes opened. Closed. Again the sunlight peeked in to say hello before the closed again.
"Link! Wake up!"
"Huh?" I mumbled.
My eyes opened just to see my little sister Aryll looking down on me.
"Get up sleepy-head!" said Aryll.
My eyes opened completely. I stood up and looked out from my post on the watchtower. The beautiful waves of the crystal blue ocean danced in the distance, foaming into a bubbly cascade of white.
"Link!" cried Aryll, "I'm so happy that you're finally awake!"
I glanced at the peppy five-year-old.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Don't you remember what today is?"
I shook my head no.
"It's your twelfth birthday!"
"That's right."
"Grandma wants to talk to you," said Aryll, "she has something for you back at home!"
I brushed my dirty blue pajamas off and climbed down the ladder from the top of the watchtower. I was so excited that I jumped from about six handles to the bottom.
A slew of "happy birthday's" and "Congrats Link!" bombarded me as I walked past the villagers of Outset Island. I was so excited, that I replied to all of them. I even acknowledged Zill, the annoying snot-nosed two-year-old that always follows me around.
I came home and opened the door to my small hut. Grandma was inside, baking cookies. The aroma tickled my nose; I began to pine for the sweet treats.
"Grandma!" I shouted; she was hard of hearing.
"Link?" Grandma turned around. "Ah, congratulations on your meeting your twelfth year of life."
"Thanks, Grandma," I replied, "Aryll said you had something for me."
"Ah yes."
Grandma turned around and handed me a neatly folded green tunic.
"Here, put this on."
I slowly took the tunic from her hands. Despite my extreme apprehension, I quickly slipped into the clothing.
"They're itchy and hot," I complained.
"Link," said Grandma, "these are the clothes that the Hero of Time wore." You're twelve. That means it's time for you to wear these clothes. Very symbolic."
I sighed. "Thanks Grandma," I said. I was sort of being a jerk anyway. I forced a smile. Maybe she'd think I liked them.
"You're very welcome," Grandma replied. "Now go outside and make sure your sister is fine."
I ran out the door and ran back to the watchtower. I climbed up the ladder to the post, where Aryll gazed out into the ocean.
"Link," she said, "I wanna give you something."
"What is it?"
She reached from behind her back and handed me a telescope.
"That's my favorite toy!" she said, "But I want you to have it 'cause you're my favoritist brother."
I smiled at my sister and hugged her. "Thanks, Aryll," I said, knowing that I was her only brother.
I gazed into the telescope and looked back at my home: Outset Island.
At that second, I heard Aryll gasp.
"Link!" she screamed, "Up! In the sky!!!"
I quickly pointed the telescope up into the sky. A huge, terrifying phoenix flew in the sky. It released a blood-curling screech.
"Oh no!" I breathed.
It was then that I noticed a girl held tight in its talons.
My eyes opened. Closed. Again the sunlight peeked in to say hello before the closed again.
"Link! Wake up!"
"Huh?" I mumbled.
My eyes opened just to see my little sister Aryll looking down on me.
"Get up sleepy-head!" said Aryll.
My eyes opened completely. I stood up and looked out from my post on the watchtower. The beautiful waves of the crystal blue ocean danced in the distance, foaming into a bubbly cascade of white.
"Link!" cried Aryll, "I'm so happy that you're finally awake!"
I glanced at the peppy five-year-old.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Don't you remember what today is?"
I shook my head no.
"It's your twelfth birthday!"
"That's right."
"Grandma wants to talk to you," said Aryll, "she has something for you back at home!"
I brushed my dirty blue pajamas off and climbed down the ladder from the top of the watchtower. I was so excited that I jumped from about six handles to the bottom.
A slew of "happy birthday's" and "Congrats Link!" bombarded me as I walked past the villagers of Outset Island. I was so excited, that I replied to all of them. I even acknowledged Zill, the annoying snot-nosed two-year-old that always follows me around.
I came home and opened the door to my small hut. Grandma was inside, baking cookies. The aroma tickled my nose; I began to pine for the sweet treats.
"Grandma!" I shouted; she was hard of hearing.
"Link?" Grandma turned around. "Ah, congratulations on your meeting your twelfth year of life."
"Thanks, Grandma," I replied, "Aryll said you had something for me."
"Ah yes."
Grandma turned around and handed me a neatly folded green tunic.
"Here, put this on."
I slowly took the tunic from her hands. Despite my extreme apprehension, I quickly slipped into the clothing.
"They're itchy and hot," I complained.
"Link," said Grandma, "these are the clothes that the Hero of Time wore." You're twelve. That means it's time for you to wear these clothes. Very symbolic."
I sighed. "Thanks Grandma," I said. I was sort of being a jerk anyway. I forced a smile. Maybe she'd think I liked them.
"You're very welcome," Grandma replied. "Now go outside and make sure your sister is fine."
I ran out the door and ran back to the watchtower. I climbed up the ladder to the post, where Aryll gazed out into the ocean.
"Link," she said, "I wanna give you something."
"What is it?"
She reached from behind her back and handed me a telescope.
"That's my favorite toy!" she said, "But I want you to have it 'cause you're my favoritist brother."
I smiled at my sister and hugged her. "Thanks, Aryll," I said, knowing that I was her only brother.
I gazed into the telescope and looked back at my home: Outset Island.
At that second, I heard Aryll gasp.
"Link!" she screamed, "Up! In the sky!!!"
I quickly pointed the telescope up into the sky. A huge, terrifying phoenix flew in the sky. It released a blood-curling screech.
"Oh no!" I breathed.
It was then that I noticed a girl held tight in its talons.
